Rishi Sunak is wearing suits that are too short because he is hostage to Noughties menswear trends, a leading men’s fashion guru has said. 

Derek Guy – who is based in California and writes the Die, Workwear fashion blog – said the Prime Minister was ‘trend aware’ but ‘just a little behind the times’. 

However, he scotched conspiracy theories the 5ft-6in politician opts for short trousers to make himself look taller, saying it was purely a matter of ‘fashion’. 

In a forensic analysis of Mr Sunak’s fashion choices for his 460,000 Twitter followers, Mr Guy said: ‘Baffling to me how the wealthiest UK prime minister in history could live just steps away from Savile Row, the single greatest concentration of skilled bespoke tailors, and end up paying $2k for a MTM suit with sleeves and trousers 2-4′ too short.’

The fashion expert picked up on claims by his followers that Mr Sunak was trying to mask his short stature, or opting for children’s sizes to ‘dodge VAT’. 

The PM has never been known to skimp on fashion, having previously been seen wearing £3,500 suits from Bloomsbury tailor Henry Herbert, £490 Prada shoes and a £795 Reiss jacket. 

Rishi Sunak (seen in Whitehall) has become known for his ankle-skimming trousers and jackets with sleeves that appear too short 

Mr Sunak reveals his short trousers while speaking on Zoom to Gordon Ramsay during the pandemic 

Mr Guy said he was ‘baffled’ by Mr Sunak’s fashion crimes when he lives so close to Savile Row 

He continued: ‘Lots of conspiracy theories on why Sunak wears such short trousers and sleeves, but my theory is simple… 

‘Sunak is a vaguely trend-aware guy, but just a little behind the times. He wears Palm Angels slides, Common Projects sneakers, slim-fit chinos, etc.

‘I don’t think he has a grand theory for how short sleeves and pants make him look taller. 

‘He’s simply accustomed to wearing trendy things and so, he wears early 2000s menswear trends.

‘It is not unusual to see wealthy guys wear such shrunken suits. In fact, this is the dominant silhouette if you visit the downtown district of any major city. 

‘Lots of guys wearing tight, cropped pants, short jackets, bad sleeves . . . men of all sorts of builds. It’s the fashion.’ 

Mr Guy, who has written for Esquire and the Financial Times, later suggested Mr Sunak had been eclipsed in the fashion stakes by US President Joe Biden, whose ‘ready to wear’ suits fitted better despite probably being far cheaper.  

‘It would be better if he just got a longer coat and then dropped the buttoning point and then had slightly fuller trousers. I mean, he lives in London. It would be very easy for him to get a really good suit,’ he told Times Radio. 

‘Ironically, I think this sort of outfit makes a man look very middle-aged, as it’s a 20-year-old trend and young people are wearing baggier clothes.’

Mr Guy’s assessment of the Tory leader contrasted markedly with the praise he recently lavished on King Felipe of Spain at the Wimbledon final. 

Mr Sunak showing off a more casual ensemble outside Downing Street last year 

Mr Guy scotched conspiracy theories the 5ft-6in politician opts for short trousers to make himself look taller, saying it was purely a matter of ‘fashion’

The monarch, who watched his countryman Carlos Alcaraz come through a five-set thriller with Novak Djokovic on Centre Court, was spotted wearing a light grey suit jacket over a white checked shirt, paired with black tailored trousers and a navy and white patterned tie. 

Clearly a fan of the Spanish king’s collection of suits, Mr Guy said the 55-year-old royal looked ‘great’ and that it was ‘very rare to see this level of tailoring nowadays, even on the wealthy’.

He wrote: ‘King Felipe consistently looks great, and it seems that all of his suits are cut by the same tailor. 

‘Some basic points: 1. Collar always hugs the neck 2. No pulling anywhere. Things hang cleanly 3. Lapels end about halfway from collar to shoulder bone (nice proportion).’ 

A rolling lapel also helps Felipe’s look while slight curvature to a jacket’s lapel suggests ‘very fine tailoring’, Mr Guy said. 

He also praised his jacket ‘quarters’, referring to how the front of a jacket, below the buttons, sits, saying the King’s quarters ‘sweep away, creating a more dynamic line.’     

Despite his love of a sharp suit, the PM is regularly spotted in more casual attire. Here, he’s seen wearing his Stanford University sweater and a pair of sweatpants from premium athletic wear brand Reigning Champ in 2021 

Mr Sunak donning his favourite dark grey £46 Everlane hoodie while practising a speech in 2021 

The politician also opts for bespoke shirts from Italian brand The The Travelling Artisan, crafted by aged seamstresses in Veneto (pictured in September 2021) 

Mr Sunak sporting a bespoke £3,500 suit by Bloomsbury tailor Henry Herbert last year 

However, other experts would disagree with Mr Guy’s assessment of Mr Sunak’s fashion sense – not least in contrast to his notoriously scruffy predecessor, Boris Johnson. 

Despite his love of a sharp suit, the PM is regularly seen in more casual attire including hoodies, cardigans and – in one case while he was writing the 2021 Budget – a £90 pair of plastic sliders.  

Celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage previously told FEMAIL: ‘Politicians are not known for possessing the greatest wardrobes, yes Boris I’m looking at you, yet Rishi is always extremely well presented.’

Mr Armitage said the prime minster’s wife Akshata Murthy, daughter of one of India’s richest men, could be behind his stylish looks.

Ms Murthy runs a fashion label and can no doubt offer advice to the MP about his sense of style and tailoring.

Mr Armitage said the key to Mr Sunak’s look appears to be ‘clever tricks’ employed by expensive tailors.

His fashion choices have sometimes raised eyebrows, such as when he wore a pair of £490 Prada shoes during a visit to a building site in Teesside

Mr Sunak wearing a paid of £95 plastic sliders while preparing the Budget in 2021  

Mr Sunak became an unlikely fashion icon in Japan when he sported a pair of bright red socks bearing the logo of the Japanese PM’s baseball team during a visit earlier this year  

The PM regularly wears a dark navy suit, which comes from upmarket tailor Henry Herbert, whose services start at a whopping £1,295.

The pieces, which are described online as ‘true to the highest standards of traditional Savile Row tailoring’, are crafted using fabrics sourced from mills in England and Scotland.

Celebrity stylist Rochelle White agreed, revealing: ‘I feel that Rishi’s style for short trousers is a mix of comfort and style.

‘I think he is very aware of his body and what works well for him and builds that into his look.

‘The short trousers are practical for everyday wear and more comfortable. They help to elongate his legs and body.’